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They’re turning manure into black gold
June 28, 2018 by The Lewiston Tribune
Bernie Teunissen recently made a major technological investment in his 3,800-cow dairy to ensure its operations will remain sustainable long into the future.
Teunissen, who runs Caldwell-based Beranna Dairy with his sons Bernard and Derek, had been disposing of manure by vacuuming it into a 5,000-gallon tank, mounted on a tractor, and spreading it on their nearby farm fields.
But after years of applications, the family’s fields were approaching maximum nutrient limits, especially for phosphorus.
To remedy the problem, Teunissen and his family installed a high-tech system that separates the solid waste from manure for conversion into a high-value – and easily manageable – compost, some of which they sell to neighbors’ farms and orchards. | READ MORE